Welcome

We are located in the Institute of Chemistry, at the University of São Paulo, São Paulo.

Iolanda Midea Cuccovia and Hernan Chaimovich.

Micelles, vesicles and intramolecular reactions are models to investigate interfacial effects on chemical and biological reactivity. Enzyme catalysis, biological recognition, biotransformation of energy, ion transport and shape changes in membranes share a common dependence of precise topological relationships between interfacial components. Experimental (chemical trapping, calorimetry, kinetics and mechanistic studies of reactions at interfaces) and theoretical (mean field, ab initio an dynamics) analysis are used to investigate interfacial reagent concentrations, specificity of binding/distribution of reagents between the interface and the bulk phase. Recently, we became interested in new interpretations of the factors that determine formation and shape changes in membranes. Attempting to contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanism of enzyme catalysis we are also investigation experimentally and theoretically. We are also interested in the analysis of the consequences of membrane/peptide interactions.